The biggest week on the football recruiting calendar has finally arrived and that means it will be time for prospects to put pen to paper and make things official with Arizona. It is a busy time all around as the Wildcats continue to go through the winter with plenty of exciting things coming up on the horizon.
Here is this week’s GOAZCATS.com War Room.
Football
On the football team side of things Arizona is continuing with its offseason workouts and soon enough it will be back to the field for the start of spring ball. The Wildcats have moved back the start of spring ball by a few days with it now expected to begin on February 10. That will give Arizona some extra time to get acclimated with the new staff members and get its bearings after a ton of recruiting the last few weeks.
* Before it can do that, however, UA must first hire its next defensive line coach. As it has been the entire time the process has been locked up with who Arizona is even looking at let alone who is the leading candidate. It is something Rich Rodriguez has held close, but now that the recruiting cycle is coming to a close it should not be long after Wednesday’s Signing Day that the next defensive line coach is announced.
Arizona is going to be able to close on its class without one and that means it can afford to wait until after Signing Day to announce the hiring.
* Arizona was able to add a crucial transfer Sunday when Cal linebacker Michael Barton decided to choose the Wildcats as his next team. The junior will graduate from Cal this spring and be eligible to play immediately this upcoming season. The Wildcats have been following Barton closely since he announced that he would be looking for another option in his final season back in December.
The Wildcats were able to make a big enough impression on him with Marcel Yates leading the way that he decided it was time to make his choice. Barton is close with former Cal offensive lineman and current UA offensive guard Freddie Tagaloa and that helped him make his choice as well.
Barton lost his starting will linebacker position at Cal prior to the year, and injuries didn’t help matters in 2015. However, prior to that he was one of Cal’s best linebackers and led the team with 80 tackles in 2014. He will be able to add some immediate depth and help at a position Arizona needs it at with all the injuries it went through last season. It will also give the Wildcats a chance to develop some of the talent it is bringing in at linebacker in the 2016 class.
After a knee injury kept him out of four games in 2014 Barton finished the year with 25 tackles and one interception. He will get his American Studies degree from Cal this spring.
“We support Michael and are proud of the hard work and dedication he has put in at Cal both on the field and in the classroom in order to be on track to graduate from Cal next May,” Cal head coach Sonny Dykes said after Barton made his intentions to transfer public in December. “We wish him the best of luck and look forward to watching him continue his academic and athletic career.”
Football recruiting
As Arizona closes in on finishing its 2016 class there are certainly some spots that are coming down to the wire. Arizona is looking to put the finishing touches on its recruiting class and there are still some big names out there to keep an eye on. Arizona has been able to pick up some commitments here as of late, but there are not as many spots as people think when it comes to finishing out the group.
* We’ll start off with this week’s commitment hot board and watch list as there are still some intriguing options for Arizona coming down the stretch. The Wildcats certainly have their options and a lot of who is left on the board depends on how many spots UA can fill in the class. That means there could be some who are forced to make tough decisions down the stretch.
Here is a look at the top group of expected commitments as Arizona makes its way toward Signing Day.
- Lorenzo Burns: The three-star athlete will remain at the top of his this list until he announces his choice. The Temecula (Calif.) Linfield Christian recruit told GOAZCATS.com Sunday night that he has already made his decision and he has informed the staff of the school he has picked what his intentions are but he will wait until Signing Day to announce it. Arizona is not giving anything away either way, but for now it is down to UA and Colorado. It would be shocking at this point if the official announcement is anything but Arizona.
- Chacho Ulloa: The three-star safety from Corona (Calif.) Centennial visited Arizona two weekends ago and enjoyed his time out in Tucson. He was looking at taking another visit before the end of the process, but he did not make a visit to any program over the weekend. That puts Arizona right where it wants to be heading into his decision. The Wildcats were really able to strike at the right time and unless something changes he will be headed to Arizona for college.
- Josh Allen: The three-star defensive end didn’t play his final junior college season because he wanted to preserve some more eligibility and the plan was to arrive at Arizona for the spring semester. Things didn’t go according to plan and while he will not arrive until the summer Arizona is really his only option right now. He has hinted that he is finally ready to make his choice public, but like they have been for a while the signs continue to point to Arizona being the place whenever he makes his decision public.
- Kaelin Himphill: It is at this point that things get a little more interesting on this list. Himphill is another one who planned on taking one more visit over the weekend before making his decision but he did not do so and the plan remains to decide by this week. There is still some hesitation from the Hillsboro (Ore.) Liberty linebacker and that could end up costing him if he doesn’t make a quick decision here soon. He told GOAZCATS.com that there is a chance he takes a visit after Wednesday but for now he feels he has a good handle on the schools in the mix.
Arizona is in a great spot, but waiting out the process could end up meaning Himphill is on the outside looking in if he drags his feet at all.
- Victor Viramontes: Arizona will be right in the mix whenever he decides to make his choice, but it will come down to what he wants to do position wise. Cal wants him as a quarterback while Arizona is looking at the Norco, California recruit as a linebacker. Viramontes has ties to Ulloa as well as others on the staff and team that could help move things along, but right now it could really go any number of ways.
* One other aspect to keep an eye on is who Arizona could potentially lose come Signing Day. At this stage the biggest one to keep an eye on in that sense is receiver DeVaughn Cooper. The Harbor City (Calif.) Narbonne standout visited Arizona State over the weekend and as you would expect the Wildcats were not pleased with that decision, but it is not going to drop him because of it. As things stand now UA is just going to have to wait it out and there should be some kind of decision prior to Signing Day with Tuesday likely being the day he lets the staff know once and for all what his choice is.
At this point Arizona remains in a good spot, but because he has been so indecisive and open to taking visits down the stretch it could really go either way with UA, ASU and Syracuse.
* In addition to that Arizona will have to keep an eye on and wait on the decisions of other prospects as well.
- We’ll start with the two big four-star safety recruits who will be making their decisions in the coming days. Lamar Jackson and Brandon Burton will both be making their college choices on Tuesday and at this point Arizona is a finalist for both. The trends right now have both looking away from the ‘Cats with ASU and Nebraska trending Jackson while it continues to be all UCLA buzz for Burton.
The Wildcats have certainly made their push for both prospects here late in the process and have certainly made some headway, but they are fighting an uphill battle at this stage in the game.
- Josiah Sa’o is another prospect to continue to watch as these next few days plays out. He is fresh off his visit to Vanderbilt and the SEC program should certainly be considered the leader, but not making his decision on the trip says plenty. That was never the plan, but there was so much in flux going into the visit it was not completely out of the question. Sa’o is going to make his decision Wednesday and as of now he has not come to that choice.
He remains torn between wanting to play close to home and playing in the SEC along with the bond he has built with Vanderbilt’s staff. Not getting out on a visit to Tucson certainly doesn’t bode well for the Wildcats, but there truly is a desire to play closer to home. The picture should be much clearer in the next couple days.
- TaDarryl Marshall remains an option to keep an eye on as well. The Wildcats remain in the picture and he will make his decision soon as well. The Leeds, Alabama native visited South Alabama over the weekend to finish out his visits. UA has been looking at Marshall mostly as a safety, but it has left open the possibility of using him on offense as well. Depending on how the class shakes out you could very well see Arizona make one last push this week if there is room available.
Here is this week’s GOAZCATS.com War Room.
Football
On the football team side of things Arizona is continuing with its offseason workouts and soon enough it will be back to the field for the start of spring ball. The Wildcats have moved back the start of spring ball by a few days with it now expected to begin on February 10. That will give Arizona some extra time to get acclimated with the new staff members and get its bearings after a ton of recruiting the last few weeks.
* Before it can do that, however, UA must first hire its next defensive line coach. As it has been the entire time the process has been locked up with who Arizona is even looking at let alone who is the leading candidate. It is something Rich Rodriguez has held close, but now that the recruiting cycle is coming to a close it should not be long after Wednesday’s Signing Day that the next defensive line coach is announced.
Arizona is going to be able to close on its class without one and that means it can afford to wait until after Signing Day to announce the hiring.
* Arizona was able to add a crucial transfer Sunday when Cal linebacker Michael Barton decided to choose the Wildcats as his next team. The junior will graduate from Cal this spring and be eligible to play immediately this upcoming season. The Wildcats have been following Barton closely since he announced that he would be looking for another option in his final season back in December.
The Wildcats were able to make a big enough impression on him with Marcel Yates leading the way that he decided it was time to make his choice. Barton is close with former Cal offensive lineman and current UA offensive guard Freddie Tagaloa and that helped him make his choice as well.
Barton lost his starting will linebacker position at Cal prior to the year, and injuries didn’t help matters in 2015. However, prior to that he was one of Cal’s best linebackers and led the team with 80 tackles in 2014. He will be able to add some immediate depth and help at a position Arizona needs it at with all the injuries it went through last season. It will also give the Wildcats a chance to develop some of the talent it is bringing in at linebacker in the 2016 class.
After a knee injury kept him out of four games in 2014 Barton finished the year with 25 tackles and one interception. He will get his American Studies degree from Cal this spring.
“We support Michael and are proud of the hard work and dedication he has put in at Cal both on the field and in the classroom in order to be on track to graduate from Cal next May,” Cal head coach Sonny Dykes said after Barton made his intentions to transfer public in December. “We wish him the best of luck and look forward to watching him continue his academic and athletic career.”
Football recruiting
As Arizona closes in on finishing its 2016 class there are certainly some spots that are coming down to the wire. Arizona is looking to put the finishing touches on its recruiting class and there are still some big names out there to keep an eye on. Arizona has been able to pick up some commitments here as of late, but there are not as many spots as people think when it comes to finishing out the group.
* We’ll start off with this week’s commitment hot board and watch list as there are still some intriguing options for Arizona coming down the stretch. The Wildcats certainly have their options and a lot of who is left on the board depends on how many spots UA can fill in the class. That means there could be some who are forced to make tough decisions down the stretch.
Here is a look at the top group of expected commitments as Arizona makes its way toward Signing Day.
- Lorenzo Burns: The three-star athlete will remain at the top of his this list until he announces his choice. The Temecula (Calif.) Linfield Christian recruit told GOAZCATS.com Sunday night that he has already made his decision and he has informed the staff of the school he has picked what his intentions are but he will wait until Signing Day to announce it. Arizona is not giving anything away either way, but for now it is down to UA and Colorado. It would be shocking at this point if the official announcement is anything but Arizona.
- Chacho Ulloa: The three-star safety from Corona (Calif.) Centennial visited Arizona two weekends ago and enjoyed his time out in Tucson. He was looking at taking another visit before the end of the process, but he did not make a visit to any program over the weekend. That puts Arizona right where it wants to be heading into his decision. The Wildcats were really able to strike at the right time and unless something changes he will be headed to Arizona for college.
- Josh Allen: The three-star defensive end didn’t play his final junior college season because he wanted to preserve some more eligibility and the plan was to arrive at Arizona for the spring semester. Things didn’t go according to plan and while he will not arrive until the summer Arizona is really his only option right now. He has hinted that he is finally ready to make his choice public, but like they have been for a while the signs continue to point to Arizona being the place whenever he makes his decision public.
- Kaelin Himphill: It is at this point that things get a little more interesting on this list. Himphill is another one who planned on taking one more visit over the weekend before making his decision but he did not do so and the plan remains to decide by this week. There is still some hesitation from the Hillsboro (Ore.) Liberty linebacker and that could end up costing him if he doesn’t make a quick decision here soon. He told GOAZCATS.com that there is a chance he takes a visit after Wednesday but for now he feels he has a good handle on the schools in the mix.
Arizona is in a great spot, but waiting out the process could end up meaning Himphill is on the outside looking in if he drags his feet at all.
- Victor Viramontes: Arizona will be right in the mix whenever he decides to make his choice, but it will come down to what he wants to do position wise. Cal wants him as a quarterback while Arizona is looking at the Norco, California recruit as a linebacker. Viramontes has ties to Ulloa as well as others on the staff and team that could help move things along, but right now it could really go any number of ways.
* One other aspect to keep an eye on is who Arizona could potentially lose come Signing Day. At this stage the biggest one to keep an eye on in that sense is receiver DeVaughn Cooper. The Harbor City (Calif.) Narbonne standout visited Arizona State over the weekend and as you would expect the Wildcats were not pleased with that decision, but it is not going to drop him because of it. As things stand now UA is just going to have to wait it out and there should be some kind of decision prior to Signing Day with Tuesday likely being the day he lets the staff know once and for all what his choice is.
At this point Arizona remains in a good spot, but because he has been so indecisive and open to taking visits down the stretch it could really go either way with UA, ASU and Syracuse.
* In addition to that Arizona will have to keep an eye on and wait on the decisions of other prospects as well.
- We’ll start with the two big four-star safety recruits who will be making their decisions in the coming days. Lamar Jackson and Brandon Burton will both be making their college choices on Tuesday and at this point Arizona is a finalist for both. The trends right now have both looking away from the ‘Cats with ASU and Nebraska trending Jackson while it continues to be all UCLA buzz for Burton.
The Wildcats have certainly made their push for both prospects here late in the process and have certainly made some headway, but they are fighting an uphill battle at this stage in the game.
- Josiah Sa’o is another prospect to continue to watch as these next few days plays out. He is fresh off his visit to Vanderbilt and the SEC program should certainly be considered the leader, but not making his decision on the trip says plenty. That was never the plan, but there was so much in flux going into the visit it was not completely out of the question. Sa’o is going to make his decision Wednesday and as of now he has not come to that choice.
He remains torn between wanting to play close to home and playing in the SEC along with the bond he has built with Vanderbilt’s staff. Not getting out on a visit to Tucson certainly doesn’t bode well for the Wildcats, but there truly is a desire to play closer to home. The picture should be much clearer in the next couple days.
- TaDarryl Marshall remains an option to keep an eye on as well. The Wildcats remain in the picture and he will make his decision soon as well. The Leeds, Alabama native visited South Alabama over the weekend to finish out his visits. UA has been looking at Marshall mostly as a safety, but it has left open the possibility of using him on offense as well. Depending on how the class shakes out you could very well see Arizona make one last push this week if there is room available.
